Martinsville track tough on Sprint Cup rookie Stenhouse Jr

Published: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 5:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 4:36 p.m.

Tough times for a rookie at Martinsville. Should we be surprised?

Not at all, except that the rookie was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and not Danica Patrick. The way things had been going with Danica since Daytona, and the way everyone was talking, you kinda expected her to finish 44th in a 43-car field. Since Daytona isn't an accurate barometer, ignore Danica's eighth-place showing in the season opener — her 12th-place finish at Martinsville was easily her best NASCAR effort yet.

And on the other side of the coin . . .

There's so much focus on Tony Stewart's early-season struggles, no one seems to notice how deep in the tank Martin Truex Jr. has fallen. Last year, he was strong from start to finish and was a surprise Chase qualifier, which naturally meant he became a trendy pick for 2013. So much for trends. He has just one top-10 finish and sits 25th in points. He's three spots behind Stewart, and best we can tell, Stewart has been mistakenly driving a '95 Caprice all year.

Sticking with the slump theme, what happened to Kevin Harvick?

It wasn't that long ago that Harvick was winning a couple of preseason exhibition races at Daytona (the Sprint Unlimited and a 150-mile qualifier) and taking shots at those who suggested he's a lame duck this year. Well, guess what: He's been quacking ever since. Granted, he's still above water, sitting 14th in points, but just one top-10 (a ninth) through six races isn't what he was hinting at in February.

<p><b>Tough times for a rookie at Martinsville. Should we be surprised?</b></p><p>Not at all, except that the rookie was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and not Danica Patrick. The way things had been going with Danica since Daytona, and the way everyone was talking, you kinda expected her to finish 44th in a 43-car field. Since Daytona isn't an accurate barometer, ignore Danica's eighth-place showing in the season opener — her 12th-place finish at Martinsville was easily her best NASCAR effort yet.</p><p><b>And on the other side of the coin . . .</b></p><p>There's so much focus on Tony Stewart's early-season struggles, no one seems to notice how deep in the tank Martin Truex Jr. has fallen. Last year, he was strong from start to finish and was a surprise Chase qualifier, which naturally meant he became a trendy pick for 2013. So much for trends. He has just one top-10 finish and sits 25th in points. He's three spots behind Stewart, and best we can tell, Stewart has been mistakenly driving a '95 Caprice all year.</p><p><b>Sticking with the slump theme, what happened to Kevin Harvick?</b></p><p>It wasn't that long ago that Harvick was winning a couple of preseason exhibition races at Daytona (the Sprint Unlimited and a 150-mile qualifier) and taking shots at those who suggested he's a lame duck this year. Well, guess what: He's been quacking ever since. Granted, he's still above water, sitting 14th in points, but just one top-10 (a ninth) through six races isn't what he was hinting at in February.</p>